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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779690">Edge of Seventeen</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorLestrade/pseuds/SailorLestrade'>SailorLestrade</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guns N' Roses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, Explicit Language, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prior Breakup, Reunions, Some angst, Sweet, moving home</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:56:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorLestrade/pseuds/SailorLestrade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the boy Karen Williamson loved left home when she was seventeen, she figured it was just a childhood crush. She had her own plans to get out of Indiana. But when those plans fell through and now she’s trapped in Lafayette with a degree that’s getting her nowhere. That is, until Jeffrey Isbell came home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Izzy Stradlin/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is just something I'm playing around with. I'm not sure how much I'll do on it, or if anyone will even like it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The alarm clock was blaring. The room was still dark, and not due to the curtains Karen used to cover her small window. It was November in Indiana, and the sun didn’t carry the same amount of shine that it did in July. Well, that and it was also 5:30 in the morning. Karen groaned as she ran a hand down her face. It was Saturday. She didn’t really want to get her ass out of bed, but this was her Saturday to open the library and stay until at least noon, and she did have a lot of things to do after she got off work.</p><p>And if she was going to actually make it there, she had to get up and get in the shower now. Groaning, she finally pulled herself out of bed, letting the coffee start up while she got in the shower. After waking herself up with that, she got out, smelling the coffee and smiling. If someone would’ve told her ten years or so ago that coffee would be her blood, she would’ve laughed at them. </p><p>She made her first cup and popped some toast in the toaster. As she waited on the toast, she started to figure out something to do with her hair, deciding after fussing with it for longer than she felt necessary, that she was just going to run a brush through it and call it a day. The rest of her routine flew by; eat her toast, get dressed, put on some quick makeup, and water her plants before she headed out the door.</p><p>Six years of college left her driving a 1987 Firebird with a few too many miles, driving around a town she had always vowed to get out of but never quite made it.</p><p>“You’re listening to the Bob &amp; Tom Show,” Karen was greeted as she turned on the car. “We’re getting some word from the Guns n’ Roses camp. It seems that it was announced that original guitarist Izzy Stradlin has had enough of Axl Rose and called it quits.”</p><p>Karen froze as she got ready to put her car in gear. She had to have misheard it.</p><p>“Rumors are swirling that Mr. Stradlin is returning to his hometown for a big project, but the fact that he had the balls to tell off Rose is astounding to me.” There was laughter and some jokes thrown around before they started playing a Guns n’ Roses songs in honor of the great hero, Izzy Stradlin.</p><p>Karen headed to work at the Lafayette Public Library. Kids from Purdue would be there, doing some studying off of campus or the ones that lived off campus would be there at least. But her mind kept drifting as she headed the ten minutes to her job.</p><p>Izzy had finally quit. She had been following the band ever since Jeffrey left Indiana. The night after he graduated with a D average, which honestly was thanks more to Karen and less to that fucking Bill Bailey. She gave him his graduation present with a smile on her face. He handed her a mixtape, kissed her, then left her behind.</p><p>She still had that mixtape somewhere at home. No matter how many boyfriends she had had in the eleven years since her last kiss with Jeffrey Isbell, she couldn’t throw it away. She’d bring it out once in a while when she missed him, but then she’d remember that he probably didn’t remember her, especially after all these years.</p><p>She pulled into her spot and opened up the library. She went through her morning routine as she waited for her assistant to show up. Empty the drop box, check them in, put them on the cart to reshelf, all the boring things that came with her job. It seemed like it was the same thing everyday that she was the in charge librarian. She broke up her routine by going to see a movies about once a week, and sometimes she’d splurge and head to Indy for a concert, but that wasn’t a common occurrence. She had accepted a long time ago  that she wasn’t going to have the glamorous, rock star life that her friends had gotten when they broke free from the cornfields. </p><p>After the afternoon girl took over, Karen went to gather up the things that she had on her list. She drove towards the other side of town, where the older homes were. She smiled as she pulled into a driveway that she knew very well. Gathering up the couple books and VHS that were on her list, she knocked.</p><p>“Come in!” A woman inside called out. Karen made her way in to see Linda Isbell sitting on the couch, crocheting and watching a game show. Linda’s eyes brightened and she smiled as Karen made her way in. “Oh Karen, sweetie! How are you?”</p><p>“I’m good mama Isbell,” She kissed Linda’s cheek. “The book you wanted came in. And I got you An Officer and a Gentleman.” She sat the handful of things on her coffee table. There was a yapping noise then as Linda’s little dog, Astair, came running towards Karen. “Hey there little guy.”</p><p>“He loves when you come over,” Linda smiled at her. “He likes the car rides and walks.”</p><p>“I love those too, don’t I baby boy,” She scratched his ears and played with him for a minute. “I’ll get your grocery list after I walk him, okay?”</p><p>“Oh honey, you don’t have to do that,” Linda told her. “One of my boys went shopping for me earlier in the week. I’m set for now.”</p><p>“Oh really?” Karen asked. She figured that Joe had come to see his mom, finally. Because she figured if it was Jeff, Linda would’ve told her. But then again, she knew about how Karen’s heart had been broken by her eldest, and she was pretty good about not talking about him too much to her.</p><p>“Well, then Astaire and I will go on an extra long walk. Maybe a nice drive too,” Karen smiled as the dog yapped and ran around in circles. Linda laughed.</p><p>“He loves you Karen,” She told her, making Karen’s heart swell. After talking for a few more minutes, Karen got Astaire’s leash and took him for a nice, long walk around Lafayette. The dog was so happy, especially when she parked her car and they walked out through some of the abandoned fields around and he could chase the birds that were still there.</p><p>She looked out across the fields and noticed the large house that set among them had a moving truck in front of it. No one had lived there in years, and Jeff and Bill used to argue about who was going to live there someday. Karen highly doubted if Izzy ever moved back to Indiana, that he would come back to Lafayette, not when the Carmel area was flourishing, and attracted more of the wealthy that lived in Indiana.</p><p>“Come on Astaire, let’s go home,” Karen told the dog. He barked once more at a bird before running off with her.</p><p>****</p><p>Izzy stepped out on the front porch of his new home. Back in the day, when he was dreaming of being a huge star, him and Axl would argue over who was going to live in this house. He honestly never thought it would be up for sale, and he wasn’t sure what compelled him to buy it when it went on the market. Maybe it was a chance to say fuck you to Axl. Izzy adjusted the hat on his head as he looked at all the space he had. He was honestly glad to be back home, and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.</p><p>He was pulled from his thoughts then by a dog barking. Looking out across the fields, he watched as a small dog chased some birds and a woman stood there, watching. She looked over his way, and even though Izzy couldn’t make out her face, he felt something as he watched her. They didn’t stay much longer, but Izzy couldn’t stop watching as she left.</p><p>“Maybe I’ll see her around,” Izzy grumbled to himself before he headed inside to pay the movers so he could get settled into his new home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Karen made her way into the library Monday morning with a large cup of coffee and her lunch bag in hand. She yawned as she placed her bag into the refrigerator. She was not a morning person, but she would much rather be here in the morning and get her day over then work in the evening all the time. She heard a noise and turned to see Jackson standing there.</p><p>“Well, good morning,” He laughed. “Did you get your caffeine?”</p><p>“Yes and hopefully it starts working before Alice comes in and asks for the same book she’s read every week for the past six months.” Karen smiled at him. “Did you and Diane have a good weekend?”</p><p>“We did,” He followed her out of the breakroom. “She’s not coming in until this afternoon though, so it’s you, me, and that teenager will come in in about an hour.” They worked on getting ready to open the library. “So…”</p><p>“So what?” Karen asked, emptying out the drop box to check in.</p><p>“Well, I’m sure you heard that old farmhouse on the outskirts of town was bought by someone,” Jackson told her. “And, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that one of the famous boys has come home.”</p><p>“Sydney Pollack moved back to Lafayette?” Karen asked with a little smirk. Jackson shook his head.</p><p>“You know who I’m talking about,” He leaned on the counter, watching her check books, videos, and CDs in. “Broody, guitar player, doesn’t like to shower.”</p><p>“Why would he be back here?” Karen asked, glancing up at Jackson. “Jeff...Izzy fought hard to get out of here. He got lucky.”</p><p>“You never know,” Jackson smirked. “He might be back and you two could hook up again.” Karen rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Why, out of all the girls out there, would he want to be with me?” Karen shook her head. “He’s rich and successful. He could get him some, I don’t know, is Heather Locklear still married to Tommy Lee? Because I bet he could get her in a heartbeat.”</p><p>“Karen, back in high school he never wanted anyone but you…”</p><p>“But he left. Things change. People change. And what makes you think I even want him after all these years, hmm?” Karen crossed her arms and looked at Jackson. “I mean, if you had met Diane in high school Jackson, would you have liked her?”</p><p>“Well, maybe. I don’t really know because she’s from Kokomo...” Karen sighed.</p><p>“Jeffrey Isbell or whatever the fuck he wants to call himself would never be interested in me again.” Karen turned back to her work and Jackson sighed before going to do his own.</p><p>****</p><p>When Izzy woke up, he was a little confused at first. First nights in a new place always seemed to throw him off. Once he sobered up, the same would happen on tour, but before that, the drugs made everything blurry, so it was hard to tell if he was in a new place or not. He laid in bed for a minute, just looking up at the ceiling. Everything he had had in his Los Angeles home had been moved to Indiana, minus the ex-girlfriend and the LA attitude. His life was all packed into boxes, sitting around the house that was probably too big for just him. But he had plans for this house.</p><p>He just had to get out of bed to start working on it.</p><p>With a groan, Izzy pushed himself out of bed. He wasn’t even 30 yet. He shouldn’t feel this damn old yet here he was. He had a list of things he had to do today that he couldn’t do yesterday because he spent most of the day waiting on the phone technician to come in to set his phone up. But now he was free to roam if he wanted to, and while he really didn’t want to, he knew he had to. He needed groceries and things to start fixing up the house.</p><p>He pulled on clothes that he got from one of the boxes and headed out to the old pickup truck he had bought a few weeks before he decided to just leave LA. He was sure that Axl would love that one. He shook his head and headed into town, pulling up at his mom’s first.  He wanted to make sure that she had everything she needed, for supporting him as much as she did. She was out in the backyard with her dog when he pulled up.</p><p>“Mama, you here?” Izzy called. Linda waved to her son and he headed around, letting himself in the fence and settling in one of the patio chairs as they watched the dog run around. There was a chill in the air, and Izzy tugged his jacket around him. “It’s cold.”</p><p>“Not too bad. Warmer than last week,” Linda told him. “But I guess it is colder than it would’ve been in LA.”</p><p>“Guess I just have to get readapted to Indiana weather,” He laughed. “I’m doing some errands. Do you need anything?”</p><p>“Not that I can think of. Oh, wait!” Linda looked over at Izzy. “I watched my movie last night. Can you take it back to the library and pick me up a new one?”</p><p>“I thought you said you had someone who did that for you,” Izzy watched Astaire bark at a bird who dared to come into his yard.</p><p>“I do, but she comes on Saturday’s and I hate asking her to make a special trip for me,” Linda explained. Izzy sighed.</p><p>“Okay, is it inside?” He asked. Linda nodded and Izzy headed inside, grabbing the VHS and heading back out. “I’ll get you a couple. Maybe that’ll last you until Saturday.”</p><p>“That’s why you’re my favorite,” Linda laughed. Izzy shook his head.</p><p>“Joe must have pissed you off,” He gave her a small smirk. “I’ll be back in a little bit mama. Love you.” He kissed her cheek before he headed out to his truck. He tossed the movie in the passenger seat before he went about his errands.</p><p>He got all his groceries, realizing for the first time that he actually had the time and patience to cook and he wanted to try to try out different things. Then he had to get some tools to work on the house, because all he had was a hammer and a screwdriver, and that wasn’t going to build the studio he wanted.</p><p>After finishing everything, he looked over to his passenger seat and groaned. He still had to go to the library to get his mom some movies and drop off her old one. He really thought about just buying her some for her to keep at home, but she liked the library. Always had. Izzy turned into the library parking lot, hoping that he wouldn’t be in there long, as he ran inside.</p><p>****</p><p>“Karen, the delivery guy is here,” Diane told Karen later that day. The teenager who worked sometimes as a work study program had to go into school for awhile, so Diane came in early.</p><p>“Okay I got him,” Karen got up from the desk. “Jackson is reshelving. Yell if you need anything.” Karen headed into the back to talk to the delivery guy while Diane took over the circulation desk. She sat there for a couple minutes when Jackson came over. Before he could say anything, the doors opened and Izzy came in. Jackson’s eyes widened.</p><p>“Uh, hey,” Izzy said. “My mom asked me to drop this off and pick up some new ones, but I just realized I don’t have a library card.” Diane laughed, unaware of who she was talking to. Jackson was about to go grab Karen, but not only was the delivery guy there, but the director of the Tippecanoe county libraries was there as well.</p><p>“We can get you one,” Diane laughed.</p><p>“I, uh, I just moved here from California,” Izzy explained. Jackson had moved into the back room, patiently waiting for a moment that he could snag Karen and bring her out to see Izzy.</p><p>“Well, who’s your mom?” Diane asked. </p><p>“Linda Isbell.”</p><p>“Oh we just love Linda!” Diane smiled. “I’m surprised that she didn’t call Karen. She always asks her to pick her up things.”</p><p>“Karen?” Izzy asked. He shook his head. It couldn’t be the same person. “Anyway, is there any way you can just check some things out on her account for me?”</p><p>“Of course, because it’s Linda,” Diane grabbed a couple VHS that had been on Linda’s wishlist. She got Izzy settled. “Tell Linda we said hi!”</p><p>“I will. Thank you.” He nodded and left as Jackson pulled Karen back out.</p><p>“Jeff wait…” Jackson sighed when he saw that he was gone.</p><p>“Jackson, that’s not funny,” Karen shook her head.</p><p>“He was here!” Jackson told her. “I swear!”</p><p>“Jeff?” Diane asked. “I thought he said his name was Izzy.”</p><p>“It’s a long story,” Jackson explained. Karen shook her head.</p><p>“I have a meeting with the director,” Karen told them. “Jackson, how many times do I have to tell you, he won’t be interested in me.” She turned and headed back towards the director, leaving Jackson and Diane standing there.</p><p>“Okay, what was that about?” Diane asked. “Spill.”</p><p>“It’s a long story sweetie,” Jackson sighed. “But I guess we have time.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The red light felt like it was taking forever. Karen sat there, drumming on her steering wheel to the Mellencamp song on the radio. There were a few snowflakes in the frigid air as he sang about pink houses. She watched as the students from Purdue had crossed the Wabash to come over to their side of the city, dressed in sweaters and scarves. Some of those kids might have never seen the snow before, and they were in for a rude awakening come January. The small flurry today was nothing compared to what could be coming.</p><p>Finally, the light turned green and she headed towards the grocery store. When she had called Linda, since this was her weekend off, mama Isbell had told her that her son was handling it, but she would still love a visit. Since it was so chilly outside, Karen decided it would be the perfect time to make homemade soup. She parked and headed inside with her list in hand. She passed by a beat up old pickup truck, which, in itself wasn’t weird. The weird thing was a New York Dolls sticker on the bumper.</p><p>“Huh.” She shook her head and got her cart as she went inside. There was soft country music playing over the loudspeakers as she worked her way through the store, checking things off her list and keeping track of how much she had in the cart. The soup would last for awhile, because she never quite learned how to scale down her grandma’s recipe that could feed the entire Lafayette high school football team. </p><p>She grabbed herself some snacks, because woman was not made to live on soup alone, and headed towards the freezer section. Even when it was cold out, she could always be found snacking on some ice cream. She was in her own world as she snuggled deeper into her hoodie and reached for her favorite flavor, singing along to the song on the loudspeaker.</p><p>“She’s in love with the boy,” Karen sang to herself. “And even if they have to run away, she’s gonna marry that boy someday.” Karen turned around and bumped into a taller man who had been studying the frozen dinners. “Oh! Sorry!”</p><p>“It’s okay.” He responded. Karen started to walk away when she stopped. Something had seemed familiar about the man. Turned back, all she could make out was his side profile. He had a nose ring and a newsboy cap with long, obviously dyed hair sticking out from it. But something seemed really familiar. With a shrug, Karen turned back around to head to the checkout.</p><p>Izzy stood there, staring at the frozen dinners before his head shot in her direction. It couldn’t be? Why was she still in Lafayette after all these years? She had had dreams and plans. He had expected to see her arm and arm with some coast socialite after graduating from some big name college. She wasn’t supposed to be stuck in this hell hold after all these years. Abandoning his mom’s cart of groceries, Izzy ran to the front of the store. She was already checking out, loading her bags back into the cart to take out to her car.</p><p>“I’ll be back for those,” Izzy told one of the employees as he jumped the blockade for a closed check out lane and ran after Karen. But she was faster than he had been, and she hadn’t had many bags.</p><p>She was already gone before he even got the chance to talk to her.</p><p>With a groan, he headed back inside to finish up his mom’s groceries.</p><p>****</p><p>Karen put her things away when she got home, like a responsible adult, and watered her plants. It was weird not running Linda’s errands for her, but she had asked for Karen to come visit like she normally did. Karen sighed. Did she want to play the chance that it was Joe over there and not Jeff?</p><p>After a bit of debating, Karen got her coat and headed back out. The least she could do was walk Astaire for Linda.</p><p>****</p><p>“What’s bothering you sweetie?” Linda asked Izzy as he set out her groceries for her to put where she wanted them.</p><p>“Nothing,” Izzy told his mom. “Nothing at all.”</p><p>“Why do I feel that you’re lying?” Linda quizzed. “Someone bother you at the store?”</p><p>“No,” Izzy sighed. In fact, it was quite the opposite, but how was he supposed to just admit that his high school sweetheart, the girl that he abandoned because he didn’t feel like settling down at the moment, was within ten feet of him and didn’t even recognize him. How was he supposed to tell his mom that Karen haunted his dreams, how badly things had ended between them all because he was a self absorbed asshole at the age of eighteen?</p><p>“Sweetie, I…” She was cut off by the doorbell ringing. “Will you get that please?”</p><p>“Yeah,” He sat down the box of crackers he had picked up and went to the door. His eyes were wide as he saw who was standing there. “Karen Williamson…”</p><p>“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Karen groaned. Well, that went better than he had expected. “Why the fuck are you here?”</p><p>“It’s, uh, my mom’s house,” He said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“While you ran off to California, I decided to help your mom out,” Karen snapped. “Guess I don’t need to be here.”</p><p>“Karen, wait,” Linda said from behind Izzy.</p><p>“I can’t do this right now mama Isbell,” Karen told her. “I’m sorry. I’ll come by later.” With that, Karen got back in her car and drove off. Linda looked at her son.</p><p>“What did you do to her?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jeffrey Dean Isbell!”</p><p>“Mom…”</p><p>“Don’t you ‘mom’ me mister! I thought I raised you better than that!”</p><p>“Look, mom, I feel like shit for all that. I don’t need a lecture eleven years later…”</p><p>Linda had her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at her son.</p><p>“So, you just abandoned her?” Linda asked. “Why didn’t you tell me about this when you were back home a while ago?”</p><p>“Because I was strung out on smack mom,” Izzy told her.</p><p>“There has to be something else,” She theororized. “Was something said? Did Bill say something to her?”</p><p>“I don’t know mom. I haven’t seen her since I left back in 80 and Axl claims that he hadn’t seen her since he left either.” Izzy groaned and sat down. “But damn, I never stopped thinking about her. Even when I was with Angela, I wanted to be with Karen.”</p><p>“I never liked that Angela,” Linda pointed out. “And abandoning her worked out so well for you, didn’t it?”</p><p>“I was eighteen mom! I was stupid. I mean, I graduated with a D average. And she was fucking brilliant! Her being with me would’ve just ruined all her chances at life…” Linda ran a hand down her face.</p><p>“You have got to make it up to her,” Linda told him. “I don’t care what you do. You have to do something to make her forgive you.”</p><p>“How?” Izzy asked. “You saw that interaction. She wasn’t exactly warm and inviting. I mean, I wouldn’t be either, roles reversed.”</p><p>“I don’t know honey, but I love her company and Astaire loves her. I don’t want her to stop coming around.” Izzy sighed and nodded. He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it up to Karen, but he was going to try.</p><p>****</p><p>Karen avoided Linda’s for the next week. She did call her though. She wasn’t going to completely ignore mama Isbell because of her idiot son. It was a particularly warm November day, and Karen decided to use that time to get some fresh air before the cold hit again. She didn’t see any cars but Linda’s old one outside, so she picked up Astaire and took him for a walk around one of the parks.</p><p>She saw people out jogging, people riding bikes, and just enjoying the unseasonal weather. She smiled as Astaire barked at some birds. Everything was perfect.</p><p>That was, until someone on a skateboard road up by her and the dog. Karen turned and groaned.</p><p>“Are you following me now?” She asked.</p><p>“I was just out enjoying the weather. We’re allowed to be in the same park at the same time,” Izzy defended. Karen rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Should be a law or something,” Karen sighed. Her and Astaire kept walking, Izzy keeping up with his skateboard. “Do you want something?”</p><p>“I, uh, I just wanted to apologize for just up and leaving,” Izzy told her. Karen started to laugh. “What?”</p><p>“You think that’s why I’m mad at you?” Karen asked.</p><p>“Well, yeah…” Izzy told her. Karen stopped walking, which made Izzy stop his board. “What?”</p><p>“Did it hurt when you left? Yes. We were engaged, Jeff, remember? You asked me to marry you that night the three of us went to Noblesville for that concert.  And you just were fucking gone and left me and Bill here.” Karen stared him down while Astaire sat patiently at her side. “Then, you gave him your address. Not me. But I thought maybe you couldn’t get a hold of me or something. I was naive and still in love with you. So, a couple months after you left, Bill and I got on a Greyhound and went out to California.”</p><p>“Wait, what?” Izzy asked.</p><p>“Yeah. Surprised he didn’t tell you,” Karen sneered. “We got out there and I was so fucking happy that I was going to see you. And we got to your place and you were fucking some girl on the couch with coke on the coffee table and one of your bandmates passed out in the chair. I gave Bill your fucking stolen engagement ring, I got my happy ass back on that bus, dealt with my dad when I got home, and I graduated with honors. I went to college, became a librarian, and stayed here while you screwed heroin addicts and taped tin foil to your windows.”</p><p>“Karen…”</p><p>“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve held all of this in for years. I kept telling myself that I was going to let it go. I told Jackson and Diane and everyone else that I was fine. But I’m not Jeff. Because while parts of me fucking hate you...I still fucking love you.”</p><p>Izzy could see the tears in her eyes as she stared at him. He watched as she angrily wiped them away. Astaire whined and rubbed against her legs.</p><p>“I never stopped loving you Karen,” Izzy told her. “I’m so sorry. I…”</p><p>“Please stop,” Karen whispered.</p><p>“Axl never told me,” Izzy wasn’t sure what to do. He had never been good in situations like this. “I didn’t know…”</p><p>“You left me behind Izzy,” Karen looked into his eyes. “Like I meant nothing to you.”</p><p>“There’s nothing I can do that will fix this,” Izzy told her. “But I’m willing to try.”</p><p>“I don’t know…” She shook her head. “I need to go.”</p><p>“Can we get coffee later? Or lunch?” Izzy asked. “Please let me make it up to you somehow.”</p><p>“I…” She looked down at Astaire. “What do you think bud?” Astaire yapped. “Your mom has my number. Maybe we can talk.” With that she started to walk away.</p><p>“Hey, wait!” Izzy called after her. “How do you know the ring was stolen?”</p><p>“You didn’t take the sticker off of it from the thrift store you lifted it at.” Karen told him, making Izzy’s pale cheeks turn red. Her and Astaire headed off, leaving Izzy standing there with warm cheeks and his heart pounding in his chest.</p><p>Karen was going to give him a chance to make it right. He couldn’t screw this up.</p>
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